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Game Designer Tackles Late Joiner Issue in Arc Raiders

1/21/2026

47 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Virgil Watkins, Embark Studios' design lead, addressed Arc Raiders' late spawn system, which places players into raids with 17 to 25 minutes remaining.
Watkins notes late joiners often profit more than early players by finding remnants of fights and loot.
Embark is exploring ways to keep maps populated while reducing the negative impact of late joining on objectives.

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Story summary

Virgil Watkins, Embark Studios' design lead, addressed Arc Raiders' late spawn system, which places players into raids with 17 to 25 minutes remaining.
Watkins notes late joiners often profit more than early players by finding remnants of fights and loot.
Embark is exploring ways to keep maps populated while reducing the negative impact of late joining on objectives.